Tyler Bennett
Dr. Simmons
Eng 1102
14 January 2014 The excerpt by Stephen Fry talks of discipline in the form of beatings and the differences between generations that were physically disciplined and those that were not. His strategy of development is a mixture of narration and description. Fry makes strong arguments against physical punishment against students and does little to show his true argument until half way through the excerpt. Fry continues on the same line of thinking and claims that the physical punishment is the one most forgotten, and the mental anguish of children is what stays for years. Fry’s use of pathos within the argument is the most significantly obvious section. “I don’t recall the pains of toothache, a thrashed backside, broken bones, stubbed toes, gashed knees or twisted ankles--I recall the pains of loneliness, boredom, abandonment, humiliation, rejection and fear” (Fry) He attempts to make a connection with the reader through some of his own experiences form his childhood and what he remembers more vividly. He uses his experience to set the tone of the excerpt and lets the language convey his feelings in the matter. The excerpt, however, significantly lacks ethos. Fry does not show any data and does little to make himself more credible. His personal experiences do not necessarily reflect those of others. This alone creates a big opportunity for his views and findings to be picked apart. The lack of evidence presented makes the excerpt seem less credible due to it only being the views of one man and not a larger study. The logic within Fry’s statements is solid, and helps to some degree. Most in today’s society would agree that no punishment should be physical, and should only serve to isolate a student and make them think of their actions. Fry helps by appealing to most readers with references to common punishments, such as,